[Walt Fricke]

Sounds like you will find one or both of the bushings up by the shifter have gone bad, which would explain the loss of a couple of degrees of shift shaft rotation. So however much work it is to get to the shift tower, it will be effort well spent.

I don't recall having to do a lot of removal to pull my tower, but I can't just go look because the car is now track only and doesn't have carpet.